New private obesity surgery clinic

[Posted: Thu 05/06/2008 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

A obesity surgery clinic claiming to be the only private specialist clinic of its type in Ireland has opened in Donnybrook, Dublin.

Surgery at the clinic costs between €5,000 and nearly €20,000.

The clinic, called Obesity Solutions, says it specialises in gastro-abdominal surgery including gastric
banding, gastric balooning, gastric bypass and stomach reduction.

The clinic, which is owned by the Swiss company Q Medical, has offices in Donnybrook and has operating facilities at the Auralia Hospital in Parkwest, off the Naas Road.

It says it employs a multidisciplinary team including a full-time resident surgical staff, dietitians, psychologists and anaesthetists.

A comprehensive after-care programme is provided for patients, according to the clinic.

The CEO of the clinic, Arno Van der Veek, said the criteria for admission to the service is based wholly on health considerations.

"The procedures we offer suitable candidates are necessary medical interventions to improve their health, their quality of life and their life expectancy," he said.

Mr Van der Veek said when diets and therapies fail to solve excess weight problems, the clinic can offer minimally invasive surgical options for controlled, healthy weight loss.

He stressed that Obesity Solutions is not a cosmetic surgery clinic, but a medical clinic working in consultation with its patients' GPs.

The surgeon working with the clinic, Dr Jan Makarewicz from Poland, is a member of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), and was formerly an Associate Professor at the Medical University of Gdansk.

The IFSO is a federation comprising national associations of surgeons working in this field.

The clinic says the surgeon operates only after the patient has received counselling by an in-house psychologist and nutritionist.

After-care is offered for 12 months after surgery.

According to Obesity Solutions' price list, a nutritionist/dietitian and psychologist/psychotherapist consultation there costs €850, while a range of necessary tests costs €400.

A gastric balloon procedure costs €5,000, a gastric band costs €10,000, while a gastric bypass costs €19,000.

There are discounts available and the cost can be tax deductible, but the procedures
at the clinic are not covered under the major health insurance schemes.

Surgery is available to patients aged 18 to 65 with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 points. Its website is...
http://www.obesitysolutions.ie

At present, there is only one obesity surgery clinic in the public hospital services, based at St Columcille's in south Dublin.

Anonymous   Posted: 05/06/2008 17:15

So, it is obesity treatmetn for the rich and not for the poor regardless of whether the poor can be referred or not.

loving life  Posted: 11/06/2008 02:44

I travelled abroad for surgery as I couldn't find any information here. I feel this surgery is worth every penny. good health and good self esteem is worth the money, what I've spent on fat clothes and food in the last few years would be the same as the cost of surgery. big people need to believe they are worth looking after and making their quality of life better. I've been all sizes so speak from personal experience.

cupofsugar  Posted: 22/07/2008 09:26

The Beacon Hospital in Sandyford in Dublin offers gastric banding costing €11K. They have a dietician and they take care of you for a year afterwards. Best of luck to anyone who gives it a go. I have spent the last few months considering it but have decided to give non surgical options like Reductil a go first.

Kitty   Posted: 26/08/2008 20:26

I have been to see a new doctor recently and after spending 27 of my 30 years of my life overweight he agreed that I have come to a stage where I have tried everything and spent the majority of my life on diets and faddy pills and that I need help. I am awaiting an appointment from Loughlinstown hospital. Im going for an initial consultation but my doctor reckons that gastric banding is my only option as my health and mobility is getting worse. I am in employment at the moment but Im wondering about cost, and aftercare and recovey time. I'm wondering if any of the site members may have any experiance with this surgery as i can't seem to find a web address for the hospital in question. I would like to gather as much info as possible before I meet with the doctors. There dont seem to be many places in Ireland that offer this kind of solution and if you have any advice hints or tips on other hospitals or clinics (other countrys considered!) I would be very very grateful.

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